RIYADH: A breeding program set up by the National Center for Wildlife Development has paid off after a lynx at the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Center for Wildlife Research in Taif gave birth to two kittens, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. The program was established in 2022 and is part of the center’s wider efforts to preserve wildlife and protect ecosystems in line with the National Environment Strategy and Saudi Green Initiative under Vision 2030. NCW CEO Dr. Mohammed Ali Qurban said the birth of the kittens represented the center’s “ongoing efforts to preserve endangered species and expand breeding programs” and was “evidence of the continued success in implementing ambitious environmental programs that aim to protect biodiversity in the Kingdom.” Such initiatives sought to “promote the best practices of environmental conservation in accordance with an integrated legislative structure that embodies the center’s vision of achieving a thriving and sustainable wildlife,” he said. Qurban said the predator breeding program was being run alongside other programs that sought to create suitable environments for the animals on their release, and that the Taif center had played a key role in helping to get endangered species back into their natural environments.